(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat exchangers, and more particularly to a heat exchanger and system constructed to provide a specific direction of heat transfer in order to couple the heat to a preferred heat-dissipating medium.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Periscopes are one means a submerged submarine uses for communication above the surface. A periscope is designed to reach above the surface while the submarine stays submerged. Many instruments can be embodied in the extreme end of the periscope for communication above the surface. These include the traditional optical periscope, electronic cameras, radio frequency antennas, and laser ranging equipment. Space is limited inside the periscope by the need for extending it above the surface. Accordingly, providing cooling for electronic components embodied in the periscope is difficult.
The electronic components of certain periscope antennas are mounted within a thermally insulated environment, i.e, a radome that is made of one or more special plastics. Currently, these electronic components are cooled passively by natural convection or by conduction. More specifically, heat sinks mounted in the radome are used to spread the heat generated by the electronics over a larger surface area in the radome. However, as operating speeds and capabilities of electronics components increase, the resulting higher thermal loads cannot be adequately dissipated within the radome.